The purpose of a writing class is to develop a meaningful thesis, direct or implied, that will generate a compelling essay. Most importantly, a meaningful thesis will have a strong emotional connection between you and the material. In fact, if you don’t have a “fire in your belly” to write the paper, your essay will be nothing more than a limp document, a perfunctory exercise in futility. A successful thesis will also be intellectually challenging and afford a complexity worthy of college-level writing. Thirdly, the successful thesis will be demonstrable, which means it can be supported by examples and illustrations in a recognizable organizational design.
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Thesis sample structure: The film transcends stereotypes by featuring characters who provide complexity and contradictions evidenced by _________________, ___________________, ____________________, and ____________________________.

Another option:

In one page, summarize "South Park and the Open Society." Then in another page, define the term groupthink and give an example of groupthink from your personal experience. For your final three pages, analyze the way groupthink compromised the quality of a project in the news or from your personal experience.

Another Option

In a page, summarize "South Park and the Open Society." Then in two pages choose a target of South Park’s satire and analyze why the show was justified in skewering this target. Finally, in a page use research to show how various targets attempted to censor the TV show.

Another Option:

Using the idea of hyper-irony, analyze an episode of South Park, 30 Rock, or another current TV show. Your thesis will show the different ways the episode implements the idea of hyper-irony. In your first page, you’ll define hyper-irony, as it’s laid out in Matheson’s essay. In your second page, you’ll use a personal anecdote to show you understand how to apply hyper-irony to your own life (as I did with the cell phone birthday photograph story). Your thesis will begin on your third page. So again, this is a “2 plus 3” format.

Another Option:

Summarize Warren St. John’s definition of a metrosexual and McMahon’s definition of a Dude. Then choose a metrosexual and Dude you know and profile them in a contrast essay.

Another Option: In a page summarize "South Park and the Open Society." Then in another page, summarize the film Juno. Then in 3 pages, argue that Juno, like South Park, contributes to the open society evidenced by _____________, ______________, ____________, and ________________.

Consider that Juno defies political extremes on both sides of the abortion debate.